Configuring Custom Commands

Custom Commands module provides a simple interface to run custom commands and edit certain files on your server at the press of a button. However, before this can be used, CP+ admin should create these buttons and make them available to users.

1. Log in as admin at http://cpplus_host_domain:10000/
2. Click on the Others tab and then choose Custom Commands:

   

3. To create a new custom command, click on the Create a new custom command link. To edit an existing command, click on Edit command:

   

4. In the Create Command / Edit Command form, fill out or modify the following fields and then press Save:
   • Description: enter the text of the custom command button in the upper input line and description to the button in the textarea.
   • Command: the actual command to execute. Because commands are run in shell syntax, they may contain any shell metacharacters like |,>, && and ; for executing multiple commands and pipelines. Here you may add command parameters entered by user running this command from his/her CP+ interface (like ls $options $dir in the above screenshot).
   • Run in directory: By default, the specified command will run in the directory containing this module's programs, which will be something like /usr/local/cpplus/custom. This option can be used to specify a different directory, which can be useful for avoiding the need to use full paths for the command and its parameters.
   • Run as user: Unix user to run the command. If CP+ user is chosen, this command can be run by any of CP+ users.
   • Command outputs HTML? Set this option to "Yes" if your command's output is in HTML format.
   • Ordering on main page: set the command's ordering number to define the command's place in the list of Custom Commands.
   • Hide when executing? if this option is enabled, the command line being executed (which parameter substitutions) will not be shown when the custom command is run.
   • Available in Usermin? enable this option to make the command available in CP+ user interface.
   • Maximum time to wait for command? Set the command's timeout with this option. If it is set to Forever, the module will wait indefinately for the command to complete.
   • Command Parameters: parameters replaced by user inputs when the command is run.
     • Name: parameter name, like dir in the ls -la $dir command.
     • Description: the description next to this parameter on the main page.
     • Type: the parameter's input type:
       • Text
         A totally free-text input.
       • User
         A username from your system.
       • UID
         The UID of a user from your system.
       • Group
         A group name from your system.
       • GID
         The GID of a group from your system.
       • File
         The full path to a file.
       • Directory
         The full path to a directory.
       • Option
         A Yes/No input that will set the parameter to whatever is in the field next to the type input only if Yes is chosen.
       • Password
         A totally free-text input, but with the input replaced by *'s.
       • Menu
         A drop-down menu of options, taken from the filename entered into the text field to it.
     • Quote parameter? If Yes, the parameter will be quoted with " before substitution, allowing the user to enter values containing whitespaces.
5. You may also create buttons for editing certain files. To create a button to edit a file, click the Create file editor link. To edit an existing file edition, click Edit file editor:

   

6. In the Create File Editor/Edit File Editor form, fill out or modify the following fields:
   • Description: enter the text of the custom file editor's button in the upper input line and description to the button in the textarea.
   • File to edit: the file's pathname. If the file doesn't exist, the system would try to create it.
   • File owners: set the file owner's user and group or leave the file ownership as it is.
   • File permissions: set the file permissions as by the chmod command (like 644) or leave the file permissions as it is.
   • Command to run before saving: Whatever command is entered here will be run as root before the file is saved. This could be useful for making a backup of the file for example.
   • Command to run after saving: Whatever command is entered here will be run as root before the file is saved. This could be useful for making a backup of the file for example.
   • Ordering on main page: set the ordering number of the file editor to define its place in the list of Custom Commands.
   • Available in Usermin? enable this option to make the file editor available in CP+ user interface.